Store Offers Apology to Oprah After Snub

Although Oprah Winfrey has not publicly commented on a snub she received recently when she attempted to shop at the very upscale Hermès boutique in Paris, the French luxury good manufacturer has officially offered the media queen an apology.

"Hermès regrets not having been able to accommodate Ms. Winfrey and apologizes for any offense taken due to such circumstances," said the company statement, which went on to say that Winfrey was not invited in because the store was setting up for a public-relations event.

Winfrey's rep has confirmed to the New York Daily News that on June 14 Winfrey, hoping to purchase a watch for Tina Turner on her way to dinner with the singer in the French capital, was refused entrance when she arrived at the store 15 minutes after it closed.

"Our shop closes at 6:30," a store rep told PEOPLE. "She came after the shop was already closing."

According to several reports, Winfrey plans to discuss the incident – which some news stories have contended was racially motivated – when her talk show returns to the air in September.